【Just a Stranger】

Apple generated a fair share of both interest and Just a Strangercriticism with its newest MacBook Pro devices. The company erased virtually every legacy port, including the SD Card slot and Mag Safe power connector, and left Apple consumers with no choice but to buy a bunch of dongles.

Some people were not happy.

Now Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller is acknowledging the criticism, while also defending virtually all of Apple's choices.

In an interview with The Independent, Schiller said Apple definitely cares about consumer concerns. "It's our job to help people through these changes," he said.

Over the course of the interview, though, Schiller ticks off reasons why Apple, for instance, kept the 3.5 mm audio jack (Schiller said Pro users often have studio equipment that does not have a wireless audio option), but removed the familiar SD card slot.

"It’s a bit of a cumbersome slot. You've got this thing sticking halfway out," Schiller told The Independent, adding that with all the choices for memory cards, Apple always felt settling on the traditional SD card size was "a bit of a trade-off."

Schiller is correct when he says that many new cameras offer wireless transfering and there are many decent USB-based readers that offer multiple card slot options. However, to use the latter, you will still need an adapter. The entry-level MacBook Pro I tested comes with just two USB-C slots. To read the SD card from my 14 MP Olympus Pen micro four-thirds digital camera, I need a USB-to-USB-C adapter, something I do not have handy.

Schiller also addresses any potential merger of iOS and macOS and why the introduction of the Touch Bar does not indicate an interest in a touch-screen MacBook. Apple has, Schiller revealed, looked at how a touchscreen MacBook might work. "It’s a bad experience. It’s not as good or as intuitive as with a mouse and trackpad," he said.

As for the merger of Apple's mobile and desktop OSes, it's not gonna happen. The solution for evolving the MacBook Pro is, for Apple, the Touch Bar. "It’s part of our thinking about where to take the notebook next. Others are trying to turn the notebook into the tablet," he said.

As for those who are still upset about the MacBook Pro changes, Schiller says that the updated product might not be right for everyone on "day one," noting that the original, and ultimately successful, iMac faced similar push back.